Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa Removes Feed Tubes as Authorities Attempt Force Feeding

LUDHIANA, Punjab—After being admitted at the Intensive Care Unit at the DMCH (Dayanand Medical College & Hospital), Bapu Surat Singh’s condition has improved.  Bapu Surat Singh was forcibly admitted to the DMCH ICU on June 27 as he had fell unconscious.  While Bapu Ji is conscious now, he is not being discharged despite repeated requests.

On July 14, Ravinder Jeet Singh Gogi told Sikh24 that his father is being kept at the hospital against the orders of the Punjab & Haryana High Court.  “Anytime the court date nears, they drop Bapu Ji off at his home in Hassanpur but later pick him up again after the court date,” he said.

“Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa does not wish to be force fed.  Yesterday, authorities attempted to force feed him, but Bapu Ji retaliated and even removed the feed tubes,” he told Sikh24.  Gogi stated that his father is being kept at the hospital forcibly, against his wishes.  A petition is already pending in the Punjab & Haryana High Court, which was filed in May 2016 by Bapu Surat Singh, asking the court to allow him to be discharged from the hospital.

Speaking with Sikh24 after visiting Bapu Ji on July 14, Harsimran Singh from Jagraon said that Bapu Ji is being kept in a very dirty ward.  “It smells really bad and the nurses are not even cleaning the bed.  It was hard for us to be in the ward for more than 10 minutes,” Singh said.  “I wonder if this is being done deliberately to torture Bapu Ji and his supporters,” he asked.

Bapu Surat Singh Ji Khalsa has been on hunger strike since January 16, 2015 seeking the release of Sikh politicial prisoners.  During this struggle, Bapu Ji has been force fed several times at various hospitals near Ludhiana.  At one time, tubes were stitched to his forehead to keep him from removing them.  Bapu Surat Singh is on a fast until death to seek the release of political prisoners who have completed their terms but have not been released by the government.  On July 18, 2016, Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa’s hunger protest to free Sikh political prisoners in India will reach 550 days.